Agricultural Engineering Courses

A cumulation of a variety of engineering disciplines, Agricultural Engineering is the field of study that trains individuals in the science of combining agriculture and engineering. Having a strong agriculture base, agriculture engineering in India is significantly gaining popularity and development each year, enhancing the agricultural practices and techniques in the country. Inevitably, as an engineering discipline, aspirants must have a science academic background to enrol in any one of the top agriculture engineering colleges in India. Moreover, admissions to the course will be based on entrance test exams, as is the norm for engineering courses. Therefore, it is extremely crucial for candidates to practice and prepare for the admission process and be dedicated to the field to build a lucrative career.

The syllabus and subjects for Agricultural Engineering vary from course to course, i.e. the level of education, the type of degree programme, the specialisation opted and more. However, the subjects covered in agriculture engineering courses would often be associated with agriculture, engineering, chemistry, food science, mechanical and civil engineering and several other fields of study. On completion of the course, graduates may find themselves qualified for a range of job roles across a variety of industries and sectors, providing their knowledge and skills to enhance the agriculture scenario in society.

Outlined here is a brief description of agricultural engineering courses in India that every aspirant should know about:

As stated above, agricultural engineering has become one of the more crucial components of the agriculture and food production industry. This is one of the major reasons why Agriculture Engineering should be a course that every engineering, agriculture and food production aspirant should consider. There are several reasons why anyone should choose agriculture engineering, some of which have been outlined below:

Excellent Career Opportunities

With an ever-growing demand for quality yields at low costs and using sustainable methods, agriculture engineering brings about great career opportunities. Moreover, agriculture engineering covers a wide range of specialisations and fields of study, allowing students to become specialists in different fields, thus, boosting their career prospects even further.

Scope of Growth

Being a technical programme, an agricultural engineering course trains and qualifies individuals to, not only pursue technical jobs but also a range of jobs associated with policy-making, code-enforcement, research and development, quality assurance and more. This expands with the type of specialisation chosen with the programme at the master’s level, increasing the scope of growth, both professionally and academically.

Rewarding Career

The programme trains and qualifies students to build new machinery or technology that simplifies the farming process for, both, farmers and buyers. Thus, agricultural engineering allows individuals to bring impactful changes to the industry. In addition to this, those holding sufficient experience and skills often earn high-paying packages across different industries and sectors.

Demand for Professionals

Being an agro-based country where the use of dated agricultural practices is highly prevalent, the demand for agricultural professionals is on the rise. Graduates of the field will not only find jobs in the corporate sector but may also find immense opportunities to build their own businesses. As India-based food production, processing and distribution companies are on the rise, so is the demand for agricultural engineers who can significantly help reduce the costs and efforts associated with providing quality products to a large market.

Apart from the different degree levels and specialisations available under this engineering discipline, students will also be able to select between the different types of agricultural engineering courses, based on the teaching methodology adopted. In other words, aspirants will be able to select from one of the following types of courses in agriculture engineering.

• Full-time courses: The commonly opted course type, a full-time course will require students to invest 4 years dedicatedly studying and attending classroom sessions to complete the course and earn a degree in the field.
• Part-time courses: A rare option also available in India, students interested in studying the course in India but cannot invest all their time in a day to the course can check out the universities offering part-time options in the field.
• Distance Learning courses: Another common option but catering to those unable to travel to their desired institution for physical classes, the distance learning agricultural engineering courses can help aspirants get their foot in the door to a career in agriculture.

Students will be able to choose from a range of universities and colleges across India that offer these types of agricultural engineering courses, therefore, each aspirant is advised to check out the entire list of the best colleges in India for the course before starting the application process.

Being the combination of agriculture and engineering, the Agricultural Engineering discipline covers a range of courses and degree programmes across different levels of education. Each course caters to different types of applicants, with different types of goals and objectives as well as different qualifications. Outlined here is a list of the popular courses you can take up in India.

Note: Aspirants may find different types of Agricultural Engineering courses, some even with specialisations, across different universities in India. It is, therefore, important to check out the list of the top universities for the programme, before applying to any university this year.

There are many courses that may seem similar to agricultural engineering, including courses like agriculture. However, to make an informed decision about the specific agriculture and food science course that you should study, it is important to understand the similarities and differences between them, in this case, agricultural engineering vs agriculture. Outlined here are some differences between the two fields of study that you should know.

Each university or college offering an agricultural engineering course in India will define the admission requirements and processes for each course, depending on the degree level of the course, the popularity of the course and much more. However, the different admission methodologies can be grouped into the following categories:

• Merit-Based Admissions: Depending on the type of degree programme offered, select colleges and universities may accept applications based purely on the academic merit of the candidate. However, being an engineering discipline, the number of universities offering merit-based admissions will be limited.
  • Merit-based admissions will still involve a range of admission processes including a personal interview, group discussions and even a written test, specifically designed for the course or the engineering programme.
• Entrance-Based Admissions: The most commonly accepted mode of admission, aspirants will be required to have appeared for a nationally organised entrance test such as JEE or state-wise conducted engineering entrance tests to enrol in any one of the top universities in the country.
  • Among these universities, most would offer a limited number of seats per course, which would be allotted based on a series of cut-off lists that each university may release over a period of time to enrol the best of the best.
  • Some universities may carry out additional selection processes such as a personal interview and/or group discussion panel to shortlist the future students of agricultural engineering courses.

All universities offering admissions to the agriculture engineering course in India would follow either of the admission modes mentioned above. However, the best universities and the most reputable universities offering agricultural engineering courses would accept applications based on entrance test scores. Therefore, all aspirants are advised to prepare well for the engineering entrance tests, appear for at least 1-2 different types of tests and then apply to their desired university.

Admissions at any one of the top universities offering the course would require applicants to have satisfied the eligibility criteria for Agricultural Engineering courses. Needless to say, each agriculture engineering course would carry different requirements based on the level of the degree course and the type of institution you may be applying to. However, outlined here are some general eligibility criteria followed by most universities in India.

• For undergraduate agricultural engineering courses, applicants must have cleared their class 12 board examinations in the stream of science, with a focus on subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and/or Biology.
  • They must have secured a minimum of 60% in the board examinations.
  • Candidates must also appear for an entrance examination such as JEE Mains or other popular engineering entrance exams.
• For postgraduate courses, applicants must have a valid bachelor’s degree in the relevant field of study, i.e. agricultural engineering or equivalent.
  • They must have achieved a minimum of 55% or higher in their final examinations.
  • Candidates must also have clear PG entrance exams for engineering courses before submitting the application form.
• Some universities may offer admissions based on cut-off lists while others may conduct selection processes to enrol students to the different engineering courses.

Since the admission processes are significantly varied between different universities and colleges offering the course, aspirants are advised to check the admission policies of their desired institution before applying to any course.

As detailed above, it is important to study and prepare for the different types of engineering entrance tests appropriate for the different levels of agricultural engineering courses. Candidates will be able to select from a variety of different engineering entrance tests, however, it is important to ensure that the candidate’s desired university accepts a particular test, before applying for any entrance test. Tabulated below are some of the popular entrance tests for the course you may have to appear for in India:

It should be noted that students may find state-wise entrance tests that will see them qualified for state-run universities and even some private universities. However, they must first shortlist the desired universities and thoroughly read through the admission policies before applying to any entrance tests.

Apart from universities and colleges in India, there are hundreds of universities and colleges across the globe that offer reputable agricultural engineering courses. With the ever-expanding population and looming environmental crisis, the need for effective and efficient agricultural practices grow exponentially as well. Thus, more and more universities and bringing out agriculture-oriented courses, such as Agricultural Engineering courses abroad. Studying such courses abroad is one of the best ways to enhance the career prospects of any individual in the field of agriculture. Moreover, studying the course abroad will also expose individuals to the agricultural practices employed worldwide, which can further be adapted to Indian conditions.

With such excellent career prospects awaiting graduates of agricultural engineering courses, choosing to study the course abroad could not be better. Additionally, foreign countries and universities alike have understood the importance of international students to the economic development of the country. Moreover, access to extremely flexible student loans as well as several different types of scholarships, fellowships and other financial aid have made studying abroad a breeze for aspirants.

The cost of studying agricultural engineering courses in India will depend on a number of factors including the type of degree course selected, the university of enrolment, the reputation and popularity of the course and university, among many other factors. For instance, government colleges are often comparatively inexpensive compared to private universities, where, bachelor courses may be slightly cheaper compared to master’s courses. Tabulated below is a brief difference in the course fees for agriculture engineering degree programmes in India.

Note: The Agricultural Engineering course fees mentioned in the table above have been outlined for reference purposes only. The actual course fees will differ and may even be slightly lower or higher than the range provided in the table.

The subject and syllabus for Agricultural Engineering courses are subject to the decisions of the university and college offering the programme. However, most universities will offer either the same subjects and syllabi or be related. Every university will outline the minimum course completion requirements, which will include a selection of core and elective subjects among other elements of the curriculum. Tabulated below are some of the syllabus and subjects covered under Agricultural Engineering courses in India.

It should be noted that the subjects and syllabus mentioned above should be considered only as references and the actual subjects and topics covered will differ among different degree programmes and subject specialisations.

Being an umbrella subject, there are several different types of agricultural engineering specialisations that students can choose to study in India. Universities and colleges primarily offer these specialisations at the postgraduate level. Listed here are some of the popular agricultural engineering specialisations offered by top colleges and universities in the country:

• Agricultural Economics
• Agricultural Machinery Design
• Agricultural Waste Management
• Crop Production
• Dairy Management
• Food Engineering
• Irrigation and Drainage Systems
• Process Control
• Post-Harvest Technology
• Poultry and Fish Processing
• Soil and Water Engineering

Apart from being specialisations, students may also be able to pursue these subject specialisations as full-fledged programmes, allowing for further understanding and knowledge in the field of study. On the other hand, agricultural engineering will prepare students to be jacks of all trades, thus, facilitating a greater and more dynamic career prospect.

With the different types of courses available under this discipline, students will follow different types of course curricula for agriculture engineering. The different degree types as well as the different degree levels will entail different course curricula. However, outlined here is the general course curriculum for agricultural engineering courses at different levels that students can expect to see this year.

Undergraduate Agricultural Engineering Course Curriculum

• 8 Semesters of core and elective subjects related to agriculture and engineering.
• Classroom sessions
• Laboratory sessions
• Fieldwork
• Internships
• Subject-wise research projects
• Final Dissertation

Postgraduate Agricultural Engineering Course Curriculum

• 4-6 Semesters of core and elective subjects pertaining specifically to agricultural engineering.
• Classroom sessions
• Laboratory sessions
• Fieldwork
• Internships
• Workshops, Seminars and Conferences
• Subject-wise research projects
• Final Dissertation or Thesis

It should be noted that the individual universities will define the detailed guidelines and requirements to complete the course. Therefore, candidates are advised to collect all the necessary information regarding each university before finalising a university for their higher studies.

As is the case with any engineering or agricultural disciplines, candidates pursuing academics or professions in the field must possess certain skill sets, not only to stand out but to also be successful in the long run. The skillsets will differ with the level of education the aspirant is aiming for as well as the type of job role they aspire to pursue. However, there are certain skills and abilities that each agricultural engineering student or graduate must possess. These include:

• Critical and Analytical Thinking skills
• Problem-solving skills
• Time Management abilities
• Excellent Communication skills
• Good Mathematical proficiency
• Visualisation abilities

Apart from these skills, students should also look into additional skills that accentuate a candidate’s professional profile, such as marketing and presentation skills along with a good grasp of the latest technology in use.

The scope of Agricultural Engineering courses in India is immense, ranging from a variety of professional as well academic routes. Depending on the level of education, i.e. Bachelor’s, Master’s or a PhD, candidates will find themselves qualified for a range of profiles, each carrying varying career prospects. Here are some of the different pathways that agricultural engineering graduates can take after completing their course.

Scope after BTech in Agricultural Engineering

After completing the entry-level course, i.e. BTech in Agricultural Engineering, students can take up the following routes to further their profiles in the field.

• Agricultural Research Scientist
• Food Safety Applications Engineer
• Soil and Plant Scientist
• Agriculture & Irrigation Engineer
• Conservation Scientist and Forester

Graduates will also be able to pursue academic routes after BTech in Agricultural Engineering courses such as:

• MTech in Agricultural Engineering
• MBA
• LLB

Scope after MTech in Agricultural Engineering

The first academic step after BTech in Agricultural Engineering is pursuing an MTech in Agricultural Engineering. One of the benefits of being an engineering discipline is that students will qualify for a range of related engineering disciplines, allowing graduates to expand their career prospects. However, some of the job roles after MTech in Agricultural Engineering include:

• Agricultural Engineer
• Agricultural Research Scientist
• Agribusiness
• Ministry of Agriculture
• Agricultural Scientist
• Agricultural Professor
• Agricultural Consultant

As is the case with any engineering field in India, the scope of Agricultural Engineering in India is immense. Being one of the more crucial disciplines, agriculture engineering facilitates more effective and efficient agricultural practices and methods being adopted across the country, benefitting both the consumers and the producers. Industries and organisations across the country are looking for skilled and qualified professionals in the field of Agricultural Engineering. Here are some of the job roles you can take up after completing the course in India.

Crop Specialist: The role entails the highest degree of understanding and knowledge regarding specific crops and the methods of cultivation. These roles will also see individuals working towards developing newer methods and technologies for efficient and high-quality yields.

Food Researcher: The role would require individuals to research and study every aspect pertaining to food production, quality assurance and distribution to ensure accessibility to the best possible food source available.

Site Engineer: A site engineer can often be regarded as a site investigator where the primary objective of the professionals is to ensure the implementation of safety regulations and guidelines as well as ensuring the right conditions and materials are met for the development of the site.

Agriculture Officer: Similar to the role of site engineer, an Agriculture Officer would oversee compliance of a farm or farmland according to the guidelines set by the state or federal jurisdiction. This role can be considered one of the more important roles as it ensures the safety of all involved.

Agricultural Consultant: Requiring a high level of competence and understanding of the field of agriculture, graduates can also become agricultural consultants, offering their knowledge, expertise and understanding of the different aspects of the field to various agro-based organisations and industries.

One of the major components that make agricultural engineering an attractive profession is the career prospects awaiting graduates of the course. However, there are numerous elements that affect the salary package an agriculture engineering graduate may receive. Regardless, tabulated below are some common job roles and their corresponding salaries in the field of agricultural engineering.

Note: The salaries listed above are just for reference purposes and are subject to various factors such as the level of education the candidate possess, prior work experience in the role or field, area of employment, company of employment and much more.